1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a fire extinguishing roof soaker.
2. Background
Wildfires are extremely common in many places around the world, including many forested areas of the United States and Canada. In areas that are particularly susceptible to wildfires the climates are sufficiently wet so as to allow for the growth of trees and brush that will ultimately fuel the fires, but also experience exceptional dry periods during the summer and fall months, thus leading to conditions that are perfect for widespread fires. There are a number of different reasons that these fires start, but regardless of how they start they pose a serious threat to those who live in the path of such a fire.
For many years the policy of the United States Forest Service was to suppress all fires by vigorously fighting fires and attempting to put them out as soon as possible. This policy unfortunately led to the unintended consequence of causing more severe wildfires. This happened because rather than allowing fires to burn up highly combustible materials the fires were extinguished, thereby allowing combustible materials to build up over time. So when a large scale fire would break out there would be a tremendous amount of fuel, which would lead to raging fires that soon managed to get out of control.
Focus in recent years has shifted from the suppression of any and all fires to embrace the understanding that fires play a vital role in the ecosystem. This shift in philosophy is not particularly good news for homeowners, particularly those who have relocated from urban areas to rural areas most likely to be hit by wildfires. Therefore, as rural areas increasingly undergo greater development it is necessary for homeowners to take steps to protect their home in the event of a future wildfire.
During a wildfire it is quite common for government officials to order mandatory evacuations with little or no warning. Thus, if a homeowner is going to take preventive measures to protect a home located in an area susceptible to wildfires the measures must be taken well in advance of any possible threat.
Heretofore there have been a number of solutions that have attempted to provide fire suppression systems for use in homes. Some of these systems extend along a peak of a roof of a building and along an underside of eaves of the building, while others run pipes along the ridge and hip of a building to release water onto the roof of a building to prevent the roof and building from catching fire. These and other known solutions fail to meet the needs of homeowners.
It would be desirable to have a fire suppression device capable of being mounted on the roof of a building that is maintenance free after installation and which can be installed under roofing materials. Furthermore, it would be desirable to have a device that does not require any penetrations being made in the roofing materials.